hey guys! i haven't updated in awhile and i'm sry bout that. but enjoy this oneshot i thought of in the shower !
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background info: el is the princess of the village
mike is her really close friend but he's poor and only can see el when she visits the stable (which is everyday)
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the day started of like any other day should.
mike woke up and put on his rags and walked to the stables to greet his horses.
just like any other day, el would come down and hang with mike and ride horses with him. this has been going on for the past 5 years.

but today, el never came.

"hey eddie, have you seen el today?" mike asked his coworker.

"no sorry buddy. haven't seen el today. actually i haven't seen any guards anywhere. that's only ever happened when a bad thing is going down in the castle" eddie said as he tended the horses.

"eddie, you don't think el could be in danger do you?" mike asked concerned.

"listen here boy. i know you're in love with the princess. and before you fight me, i see the way you look at her. but anyway, the princess is most likely fine, nothing to worry about. she probably couldn't come today, she'll be here tomorrow" eddie said before closing down the stable.

"ya, tomorrow. see ya ed" mike said.

mike walked back to his hut to find his family at the dinner table and surrounding the tv.

in mikes village, everyone has a tv, doesn't matter if you're poor or rich, everyone gets a tv since the royal family doesn't want anyone missing out on the the announcements.

"mike honey, you might want to come see this" his mother told him.

mike ran to the tv and looked at what was going on. 

castle under siege, princess captured and is getting tortured. king and queen no where to be found

"holy shit" mike said.

"language son!" his father said as he slapped his back.

then one of el's closest friends came on screen.

hi i'm max mayfield, el's best friend. i was supposed to have a sleepover with el tonight but she never sent me mail or anything. i got suspicious. i found out this was happening and now i'm scared. please! we need a hero to save el!

"that poor girl..." mikes mother said while covering her mouth.

mike knew what he had to do. he is in love with this girl, and he needed to save her. even if he was just a poor boy who worked at the stable, he needed to save his best friend. whatever it took.

"i got to go real quick, i forgot to do something at the stable!" mike said as he ran outside not listening to his family.

mike ran. he ran so fast to the castle, but saw a bunch of people guarding it. except they weren't the normal guards. it was the bad men's guards.

"ah shit!" he yelled.

but then he got an idea.

one of his best friends from birth to now works in the castle, he'll just ask him.

so mike ran to the other side of the castle and threw a rock at the window, hoping dustin would come to the window and not a bad men.

luckily, dustin did come from the window.

"mike? what the hell you doing here?" dustin yelled from the window.

"i came here to save el! now let me in!" mike yelled back.

"that's sucide dude! i've been trapped in here for 2 days and haven't heard anything from el! she could be dead!" said dustin.

oh god. mike didn't want to think about el being dead. he knew she was alive. she had to be.

"i don't give a rats ass, let me in!" mike yelled back once again.

"fine, your funeral" dustin said as he helped mike up through the window.

"thanks dude, i owe you"

"no sweat. go get your girlfriend" dustin said as he winked at him.

mike rolled his eyes at his best friend and opened the door to the hallway to see the coast was clear. he ran out and went on a search to find el.

he knew the bad men wouldn't hide her in plain sight. she had to be hidden really good.

so he checked the one spot he knew him and el were the only people to know about.

the basement el and mike would go to get away from their chores and duties and act like normal teens.

he opened the hatch and started to walk down really quietly till he heard screaming.

"brenner i demand you to stop!"

that voice, he knew it had to be el's.

he kept walking down till he could see everything happening but no one could see him.

"ha! like that's going to work! good luck trying to command me to do anything!" the man apparently brenner was saying.

"el.." mike said under his breath.

he knew he had to do something or else it could be too late. so then ya, he went sicko mode.

he ran up to brenner and slapped his face so hard.

"mike?!" el yelled.

"what the hell do you think you are?! a little stable wimp thinking he can stop an army?" brenner said as he stood up.

"well, i may be a wimp, but the thought of saving someone i love may help me win this battle!" mike said as he looked over at el.

he looked over and saw el blushing but got distracted when brenner punched him in the gut.

mike yelled and fell to the floor.

"mike!" el yelled.

"oh shut it you!" brenner yelled as he punched el in the jaw.

"OWWW" el cried.

"oh now you really triggered me you bitch!" mike said as she stood up.

"what are you gonna do little boy?" brenner mocked.

"THIS!"

mike soon full charged at brenner and punched him straight in the face. so hard in fact he hurt his own hand doing it.

i don't got a clue why but it knocked out brenner.

mike then ran over to el and untied her. since she up higher she fell when she got untied but she was caught by mike.

"oh mike" she cried as she wrapped her arms around him and let mike hold her.

"i'm sorry" mike said as tears were falling from his eyes.

"now why the hell are you sorry?" el said as she leaned back to look at him.

"i didn't save you earlier! look at you! you're a mess and hurt and i didn't come and save you earlier!" mike said as she looked into her eyes.

"don't ever think this is your fault mike! you saved me. that's all that matters is you saved me!" el said while she wipped tears away from mikes face.

then el went back to hugging him tightly and crying into his chest. and mike held her closer.

"i think we need to leave before brenner wakes up" mike said. even thought he would love to stay here forever.

"you are right" el said as she tried to stand up but her injures made her fall to the floor and land on her face.

"el, oh my god you ok?" mike asked as he grabbed her arms and pulled her up.

"looks like i can't walk. great" el said with tears forming in her eyes.

"i'll carry you. don't worry, apparently i got strength when i'm around people i love" he said while he started blushing.

"mike i-

but el was cut off short but brenner starting to wake up.

"we got to run!" mike said as he picked el up bridal style and startling her a bit.

mike ran as fast as he could. not stopping for anything and also making sure to shield el from anything.

he would look down here and there to see el and make sure she was alright. but when he looked down once he saw her crying. so he pulled her closer to his chest and started playing with her hair.

"we are almost there el don't worry!" mike shouted and he kept running.

"m-mike? i-i'm s-scared" el cried.

"noting bad will ever happen to you, don't worry! i'll protect you. nothing will ever happen." mike to calm her.

he finally ran through the exit and looked back at the castle. he dropped el but put a protective arm around her hip.

"mike?" el said.

"yes?"

"look!" el shouted.

when mike looked he saw a huge fire started in the castle.

"holy shit!" mike yelled.

mike picked up el and carried her further away so she wouldn't smell the smoke.

"i really hope dustin gets out!" mike said as he sat el down.

"don't worry, i know he made it out" el said to help calm him down.

"oh mike?" el said to beak the awkward silence.

"ya?"

"i love you too"

"what!" mike said shocked.

"i've loved you since we were little kids riding horses together. i guess i was afraid of rejection. but today when you saved my ass, carried me to protection, held me, i guess i just had to come clean. i'm sorry if you don't feel the sa-"

but el was cut off by lips on hers. she was startled at first but eased into it. then they both pulled back.

"remember when i saved you back in there? i said i got strength because i was saving someone i loved. i was talking about you, and i thought i made that obvious. but princess el hopper, i would do anything for you. i don't care if it puts me in danger like today, i would save you in a heartbeat. i love you more than you ever know" mike said while blushing.

el had started crying and soon fell into mike and let him hold her for awhile as they watched el's only home catch on fire.

"you can live with me for now, we don't got a clue where your parents went, but i'm happy to help you get back on your feet!" mike said as he helped her up.

"i would love that mike" she said with a huge smile.

"let's go, i know you don't want to see this" mike said as he picked her up and walked to the town.

mike and el told everyone what happened at the castle and how mike saved her. everyone soon started shipping them together even before they told everyone they were official. they were dating for 3 months before telling everyone.

el has loved the new lifestyle of tending horses and not having someone do everything for you. the wheelers have helped el a lot in the past months.

el found out that her parents were both killed when the bad men came, and she sobbed for days. but mike was with her to hold her and tell her she was ok.

luckily, dustin made it out and is living with their other friend lucas.